The history, current and future of CAM programming software

In recent years, CAD is the protagonist of CAD/CAM integrated system technology innovation. In contrast, the CAM field shows an undue silence. However, with the increasing demand for information technology, enterprises are also eagerly awaiting CAM, hoping that the wind of technological innovation can be blown into the CAM field, and there is a powerful, more conforming to the concept of processing engineering and easy to popularize. A new generation of CAM products.

As an important level of the whole integrated system, CAM integrates seamlessly with CAD and CAPP, and provides convenient, fast, intelligent and efficient services for CNC production. This is the theme that CAM technology will never change. The new concept of object-oriented and process-oriented features has been echoed with object-oriented design and feature modeling in CAD technology. It has been successfully applied in some specialized CAM systems, and it is necessary for the birth of a new generation of CAM. Experience accumulation, technical reserve and mental preparation. The contradiction between the difficulty of learning, mastering and application of CAM and the urgent requirement of rapid development of CAM talents has become increasingly prominent, providing a market foundation for the maturity and development of a new generation of CAM. New technologies and new processes such as high-speed machining technologies that are constantly emerging in the manufacturing industry have also placed higher demands on CAM technology. The development of network technology has made the CAD/CAPP/CAM/CAE/PDM integration system free from the constraints of space and can better adapt to the production layout and production management requirements of modern enterprises. In order to meet the requirements of the integrated system, the structural system and functional composition of CAM will inevitably change accordingly. Therefore, we have reason to believe that the new generation of CAM technology is in the process of gestation, development and maturity, and a new generation of CAM will emerge in the near future. î€„The following will analyze the development process of CAM technology, the application status of CAM, and the requirements of new technology for CAM, and then make a subjective prediction on the development trend of CAM. And make a bold idea for the structure of the new generation CAM system, hoping to benefit the research, selection and application of CAM in China, and hope to communicate with the vast number of peers. î€„

First, the inevitability and development trend of the new generation of CAM

CAM technology has developed to the present, no matter in the software and hardware platforms, system structure, functional characteristics have undergone earth-shaking changes. There are also huge differences in the functionality of today's popular CAM systems. In terms of its decisive basic treatment methods and target objects, it can be divided into two main development stages, which can be considered as two generations of products.

î€„ First generation CAM: APTî€„

In the 1960s, the programming machine and some programming software developed on the professional system, such as: FANOC, Semems programming machine, the system structure is a special machine form, the basic processing method is manual or auxiliary direct calculation of CNC tool path, programming goals and objects are also It is directly a CNC tool path. The features are poor function, difficult operation, and dedicated to the special plane. î€„

The second generation of CAM: curved CAM system î€„ The system structure is generally CAD/CAM hybrid system, which makes good use of CAD model, and uses geometric information as the final result to automatically generate machining path. The degree of automation and intelligence has been greatly improved, and UG, DUCT, Cimatron, MarsterCAM, etc. are representative. The basic feature is the processing method for the local surface, which shows that the difficulty of programming is directly related to the complexity of the part, but not directly related to the process characteristics of the product and the complexity of the process. Although the time span of this period spans 20 years, the system grades vary greatly, and the level of intelligence is different, but there is no qualitative change in the structural system. The author believes that it should belong to the same generation of products.

Looking at the development of CAM technology, we can draw the following conclusions:

1. The development of CAM is a process of continuously absorbing and utilizing the application results of CAD and peripheral related technologies, and the process of continuous development; it is the process of continuously improving the level of automation and intelligence; it is the CAM system structure and basic processing methods that are constantly adapting to the engineering concept. The direction of the process of development. î€„

2. The basic processing method of the system, that is, the target object of programming plays a decisive role in the structure and intelligent level of the system. CAM system In the APT era, the programmed target object directly calculates the tool path. The second-generation CAM system automatically generates a tool path by using the CAD model as the target object for programming. Therefore, the automation and intelligence level of the system has been greatly improved, and the operation of the system is more in line with the engineering concept. î€„

3. The basic processing form of the second generation CAM system with the local geometric features of the CAD model as the target object has become the limiting factor for the further development of intelligence and automation. Only by breaking through the inherent mode of today and developing a new generation of CAM systems: model-oriented, process-oriented CAM systems can raise the level of automation and intelligence of CAM to a new level.

î€„ 4. It can be foreseen that the new generation CAM system that is gestating, maturing and developing will adopt the object-oriented and process-oriented basic processing methods, which will greatly improve the automation level and intelligence of the system. The system structure will exist independently of CAD and CAPP systems, leaving room for the development of CAPP, and more in line with the requirements of network integration.

Second, the direction of CAM innovationî€„

As a practical and practical professional technology, CAM is directly oriented to the actual production of CNC. The actual demand for production is the driving force behind all technological developments and innovations. Analyze and summarize the current application status of CAM, the gap between production requirements and its causes, the special needs of new technologies and new technologies for CAM, and the development and requirements of related peripheral technologies, which will help to better understand the future development trend of CAM. .

î€ƒ 1. The application status of CAM and the gap between it and actual demand

Because the application is more practical and the division of specialization is more clear, in general, the level of specialization of CAM is higher than the development of CAD. Looking at today's dominant CAM system, regardless of its interface quality and strength, there are common defects.

î€„ (1) System structure system of CAD/CAM hybridizationî€„

The CAD function is used interchangeably with the CAM function. It is not a programming form for the overall model. The process features need to be manually extracted or further processed by CAD. The formation of this structural system is a product of history. Many years ago, the concept of integrated systems, especially networked integration, has not become the main idea of â€‹â€‹system development. The establishment and programming of models are done by the same operator at the same place. This will cause the following problems. î€„

1) It is not suitable for the requirements of today's integration. The module distribution and function focus of the system must match the organization form and production layout of the enterprise. System hybridization is not equal to integration, which is not conducive to the realization of network integration. î€„

2) Not suitable for the requirements of modern enterprise specialization division

The hybrid system cannot realize the division of labor in design and processing, which increases the difficulty of production management and division of labor, and greatly hinders the improvement of intelligence and automation. In addition, the hybrid system requires the operator to have a solid background and experience in both CAD and CAM to complete the work well, increasing the difficulty of learning to master and use the system. It usually takes 1 to 3 years of practice to become a competent CAM operator, which has a great negative impact on the management of corporate talent. î€„

3) No space and possibility for the development of CAPP

As we all know, CAPP is a bridge for CAD/CAM integration integration, and the CAD/CAPP/CAM hybrid system determines that it is never possible to realize the intelligence and automation of CAM. Because of the low standardization of the production process, influenced by production equipment, tools, management and other factors, there is no mature commercial CAPP system with the creation method or the derivative method as the reasoning mechanism. CAPP turned to development and research similar to development environment software systems. However, with the successful application of enterprise CAD, CAM and other technologies, the improvement of the process library and knowledge base, CAPP will have corresponding development in the future. Gradually realize the integrated integration of CAD/CAPP/CAM in the scientific sense. The hybrid system is integrated from the structure. The hybrid system leaves irreparable hidden dangers for the future development of the structure. î€„

(2) Facing the surface and using local processing as the basic processing method

î€„ Today's CAM systems are generally curved CAM systems, which are processing methods for local processing, while CNC machining is based on the model and the process is the core of the engineering process. A process-oriented approach to the overall model should be adopted. This way of dealing with non-engineered concepts will certainly cause a series of problems. î€„

1) The geometric information of the CAD model cannot be effectively utilized, and the process characteristics of the model cannot be automatically extracted. Only manual extraction or even re-simulation calculation can be used to obtain the necessary control information, which undoubtedly increases the cumbersome operation and affects the programming quality. With efficiency. The degree of automation and intelligence of the system is low. î€„

2) The local machining calculation method relies on manual or semi-automatic imitation overcutting. Because it is not the programming object for the whole model, the system does not fundamentally eliminate the possibility of overcutting, so it is not suitable for high speed machining and other new processes under high speed conditions. Security requirements.

î€ƒ 2. Problems in production organization and management of today's CAM applications

CAD/CAPP/CAM needs to integrate and seamlessly integrate on the information flow, but it often neglects that the enterprise requires CAD, CAPP, CAM in the production organization and management to be arranged according to the production layout in the application, operation personnel and system functions. The successful application of network technology has laid the foundation for this. The CAM system and operators are far away from the production site, causing undue repetition due to lack of understanding of the site conditions, wasting time, reducing efficiency, and even causing waste.

î€„ The traditional CAM system not only requires the operator to have a deep background in process knowledge, but also requires high CAD application skills. It usually takes 1 to 3 months to get started with specialized training, and 1 to 3 years of practice can become a competent staff. The application of CAM has caused great difficulties, which has caused serious shortage of CAM reserve personnel. As a result, the talent competition is extremely fierce, the production team is unstable, and serious talent management problems are caused. The situation of China's vast state-owned enterprises is even more severe. Therefore, enterprises urgently need a new generation of CAM systems that are easy to learn, easy to use, highly intelligent, and highly professional.

3. Special requirements for CAM in new manufacturing technologiesî€„

Undoubtedly, the biggest hot spot of new manufacturing technology in recent years is high-speed processing technology. According to the latest process research, high-speed processing technology can greatly improve product quality, reduce production cost and shorten production cycle by simplifying production processes and processes, reducing subsequent processing workload, improving processing efficiency, and improving surface quality. High-speed machining technology also puts new special requirements on CAM.

î€„ (1) Security requirementsî€„

High-speed machining uses small cutting depth, small cutting amount, high feed speed, and the general cutting speed (F value) of characteristic machining is more than 10 times that of traditional machining (F can reach 2000-8000mm/min) under high-speed feed conditions. Once the cut, geometric interference, etc. occur, the consequences will be catastrophic, so the safety requirements are the first. The traditional CAM system relies on manual or semi-automatic anti-cutting treatment, and does not fundamentally eliminate the occurrence of overcutting. There are no security measures based on the operator's care, responsibility and other factors. Therefore, the basic requirements for high-speed machining safety cannot be met. î€„

(2) Process requirementsî€„

High-speed machining requires the smoothness of the tool path, avoids the sharp corner of the tool path (sudden steering of the tool path), avoids empty blade cutting, and reduces the cut-in/cut-out. Therefore, the CAM system is required to have an intelligent analysis processing function based on the residual model. The tool path smoothing processing function, the optimized processing function in accordance with the high-speed machining process, and the feed rate (F value) optimization processing function (cutting optimization processing). To accommodate high-end CNC systems for high-speed machining equipment, CAM should support the latest NURBS programming technology.

î€„ (3) High efficiency requirementsî€„

High efficiency is reflected in two aspects: 1) high efficiency of programming: the technical requirements of high-speed machining are much higher than traditional CNC machining. The length of the tool path is hundreds of times that of traditional machining. The general programming time is much longer than the machining time, so the programming efficiency It has become one of the key factors affecting overall efficiency. The traditional CAM system adopts the programming method of the local surface, the system can not automatically provide the process features, the programming complexity is very large, and the programmers need high skill in addition to the process level (basic requirements). There is an urgent need for a new generation of CAM systems with a high-speed processing knowledge base and a high degree of intelligence for the overall model. 2) Optimized tool path ensures high-efficiency CNC machining, such as intelligent programming based on residual model, which can effectively avoid empty knives, and the feed rate (F value) optimization process can improve cutting efficiency by 30%. î€„

In summary, although today's CAM system has contributed a lot to the development of modern manufacturing, there are huge contradictions between the production management and operation and the actual requirements; in terms of structure, function specialization, etc. There is a serious inconsistency in the requirements of integration; the basic processing methods seriously hinder the improvement of intelligence and automation. All of this makes the birth and development of a new generation of CAM necessary. The great success of object-oriented and feature-oriented modeling in CAD technology provides a reference model for the development of a new generation of CAM. Network technology provides the possibility for professional separation and system integration of CAM. Through the above analysis, the outline of the new generation CAM system has emerged. î€„

Third, the basic structure and main features of the new generation CAM

1. A new generation of CAM hardware and software platformî€„

WinTel architecture has replaced the UNIX operating system as a support platform for CAD/CAM integrated systems due to its excellent price/performance ratio, convenient maintenance, excellent performance and plain peripheral software support. The application of OLE technology and D&M technology will make system integration more convenient. In the future, CAM's software platform will undoubtedly be Windows NT or Windows 2000, and the hardware platform will be a high-end PC or NT workstation series. With the development of PC and network of high-end NC control systems and the specialization and intelligence of CAM, even on-board programming may have a great development.

2. The interface form of the new generation CAM systemî€„

In the future, the multi-menu interface interface form will be abandoned, replaced by the Windows interface, which is easy to operate and has a project management and process management tree structure to lay the foundation for PDM integration.

3. Basic features of the new generation CAM systemî€„

(1) Object-oriented, process-oriented CAM systemî€„

The architecture of the traditional CAM board surface as the target will be changed to the overall model (entity), the structural system oriented to the process characteristics. The system will be able to automatically identify and extract all process features and areas with specific process characteristics according to process requirements (CAPP requirements), making CAD/CAPP/CAM integration, integration, automation and intelligence possible. î€„

(2) Knowledge-based intelligent CAM systemî€„

The new generation of CAM system not only inherits and intelligently judges the process characteristics, but also has model comparison, residual model analysis and judgment functions, which makes the tool path more optimized and more efficient. At the same time, the form facing the overall model also has the functions of anti-overcutting and anti-collision repair for the workpiece including the fixture, improving the safety of the operation, more conforming to the process requirements of high-speed machining, and opening the process library, knowledge base and material library associated with the process. And the tool library makes it possible to accumulate, learn and use process knowledge. î€„

(3) CAM system capable of independent operation

î€„ Realize functional separation from CAD systems and integrate in a network environment. This requires a CAM system that must be fairly intelligent. The CAM system does not require CAD functions, and is automatically programmed according to the process documentation, which greatly reduces the requirements for the operator and makes the programming process more in line with the engineering requirements of CNC machining. î€„

(4) Make correlation programming possible î€„

The characteristics of CAD, such as size-related, parametric design, and flexibility of modification, naturally hope to be extended into the CAM system. According to the author's observation, there are two different ideas in this direction. It is represented by Delcam's PowerMILL and WorkNC, and adopts process-oriented processing. The system automates CAM programming with automation of process feature extraction. When the model changes, as long as the original process route is recalculated, the automatic modification of the CAM is realized. The re-judgment and automatic processing of process features and process areas are automatically performed by the computer, making correlation programming possible. At present, mature products have been put on the market and accepted by the tool and die industry in developed countries such as North America and Europe. It has also been reported that companies have attempted to directly introduce parametric concepts into CAM, allegedly in the same database to solve parametric programming problems. According to the author's understanding, there have been no successful application examples and related reports. From a technical point of view, the author believes that the parametric design of the entity is a special concept under finite parameters. CAM is the discretization of the model according to the process requirements, and has the characteristics of infinite (or uncertain) parameters. Therefore, it has completely different characteristics from parametric CAD. Just as the concept of parameterization has not been successfully extended to surface CAD, the parameterization of CAM will also face enormous difficulties. According to the engineering concept of processing, CAM is not treated with geometric features, but with the aim of process characteristics. There is no necessary and unique correlation between geometric features and process features. When geometric parameters change, there is no correlation between process feature changes, and there are some process features that disappear or new process features are generated. Therefore, in order to realize the parametric CAM, it is necessary to carry out in-depth research on the correlation between geometric parameters and process features, and to obtain the exact, and only the relevant relationship, can be truly realized. Therefore, in terms of the practicality of the system and the possibility of success, the author is more technically inclined to the former. Perhaps the two will go the same way. We will always pay attention to and eagerly hope that the latter can make breakthroughs in technology and make CAM technology achieve a qualitative leap on the parametric road.

î€„ (5) Provide more convenient process management toolsî€„

CAM process management is a vital part of CNC production and an important part of PDM. The process management tree structure of the new generation CAM system provides conditions for process management and real-time modification. The more advanced CAM system already has a CAPP development environment or an editable process template, which can be designed by experienced technicians or products. The CAM system can be fully automated according to the process specification. In addition, the new generation of CAM systems should be able to automatically generate graphical guidance documents and text browsing in hypertext format.

4. The new generation of CAM technology has a positive impact on production and management methods

The new generation of CAM system takes CAM's intelligence, automation and specialization to a new level, and meets the specific requirements of existing production and management more quickly. At the same time, the introduction of new methods will make the management mode change accordingly. Make the production process more standardized and more reasonable. The new generation of CAM system is integrated with the CAD system under the network, making full use of the CAD geometric information, and can arrange the distribution of the system in space according to the special division of labor. Reducing the comprehensive requirements of personnel and improving the specialization requirements will cause corresponding changes in the composition of the operators; at the same time, due to the specialization, intelligence and automation of the CAM system, the machine programming will be led to the way of Shop Programming. The rise of CAM programming and processing personnel and the phenomenon of separation on the spot.

î€„ After years of technical accumulation, CAM's preparations for market demand, theoretical basis and peripheral technology have matured. We have reason to believe that the next few years will be the hot era of CAM technology innovation. As an applied terminal technology, the CAM market will be a combination of multiple systems, and the CAM market will never have a hegemony. The development and trend of CAM in the future can only be determined by market demand. What is certain is that the development of CAM must be in the direction of network and professional integration, and it must be developed in the direction of convenience, speed, intelligence and automation.

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